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The Nobel Prize for Literature 1997

Dario Fo

"who emulates the jesters of the Middle
Ages in scourging authority and upholding the dignity of the
downtrodden"

Dario Fo, the dramatist and actor, was born
at Lago Maggiore, and is 71. His education included studies at
the Academy of Arts in Milan. He is married to the actress and
writer Franca Rame.

For many years Fo has been performed all
over the world, perhaps more than any other contemporary
dramatist, and his influence has been considerable. He if anyone
merits the epithet of jester in the true meaning of that word.
With a blend of laughter and gravity he opens our eyes to abuses
and injustices in society and also the wider historical
perspective in which they can be placed. Fo is an extremely
serious satirist with a multifaceted oeuvre. His independence and
clear-sightedness have led him to take great risks, whose
consequences he has been made to feel while at the same time
experiencing enormous response from widely differing
quarters.

The non-institutional tradition has played
a great role for Fo. He often alludes to the mediaeval jesters
(joculatores) and their comedy and mysteries. The central work
"Mistero Buffo" from 1969 is based on such historic material as
interpreted by Fo. But commedia dell'arte and 20th century
writers such as Mayakovski and Brecht have provided him with
important impulses.

Another of the high points in Fo's
extensive oeuvre is "Morte accidentale di un anarchico"
("Accidental Death of an Anarchist") from 1970. Its background
was the right-wing extremist bomb attacks of 1969, which were
blamed by the authorities and the press on the anarchists. During
interrogations in Milan, an innocent suspect "fell" from a
fifth-floor window. The play deals with these interrogations,
which are gradually taken over by a Hamlet-like figure (il Matto,
the Maniac) who possesses the kind of lunacy that lays bare the
lies of officialdom.

Other works that can be singled out are
"Non si paga! Non si paga!" ("We Can't Pay We Won't Pay!") from
1974 and "Clacson, trombette e pernacchi" ("Trumpets and
Raspberries") from 1981. The latter is a comedy of errors aimed
at participants in the disreputable stratagems in high places. In
recent years, together with Franca Rame, Fo has dealt with
women's issues in several plays.

Fo's most recent work, "Il diavolo con le
zinne" ("The Devil with Boobs"), received its long awaited
première in Messina at the beginning of August. It is a
satiric comedy set in the Renaissance and its protagonists are a
zealous judge and a woman possessed by the devil. As always with
Fo, the work is directed at phenomena in today's society.

Translating Fo's texts with their topical
references and use of grammelot the jesting language that Fo has
developed based on dialect and onomatopoeia offers particular
problems. Often translators comment on the approach adopted. One
example is Ed Emery, who points out in a note to his translation
of "Morte accidentale di un anarchico" that he has chosen to stay
close to the original and retain Fo's allusions.

Fo's strength is in the creation of texts
that simultaneously amuse, engage and provide perspectives. As in
commedia dell'arte, they are always open for creative additions
and dislocations, continually encouraging the actors to
improvise, which means that the audience is activated in a
remarkable way. His is an oeuvre of impressive artistic vitality
and range.